As Orem voters prepare to elect three city council members this fall, I have a suggestion that will make vetting the candidates very simple. Just ask each candidate how he/she voted on Proposition 2 last year.

Prop 2, you’ll remember, was an attempt to have Orem split off from Alpine School District to form its own district. Fortunately, more than 21,000 people — nearly three out of four voters — defeated the Proposition. 

Any candidate who voted for Prop 2 will be admitting tacit approval of the dubious tactics used by the Mayor and three council members to do the feasibility study, pass resolutions and try to foist the bad idea of the separate school district upon Orem residents. Worse, it means they likely wouldn’t hesitate to resort to similar questionable tactics to advance their agendas if they are elected to the council. A “yes” vote on Prop 2 also shows that the candidates are out of touch with the sentiments of a supermajority of Orem voters.

So when a candidate knocks on your door or shakes your hand, all you need to do to get a clear picture of their brand of politics is ask: “How did you vote on Proposition 2 last fall?”

Ben Larson, Orem

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